Estrela da Amaorda squad stages second boycott

Wage problems continue as Liga draws up tough measures

The Estrela da Amaorda squad and coaching staff have staged another boycott due to unpaid wages. Nobody from the club showed up for training yesterday.

This is the second time that the entire playing and coaching staff have lashed out against the club’s board of directors in a month due to salaries in arrears, and the tense climate does not appear to have improved in the slightest.

Outstanding wages had dated back to December last year, although the sale of Tiago Gomes to Malaga helped whittle down club’s debt leading to payment for the players and coaches for the months of December and January.

Since then the money has dried up again and the players have grown tired of president Antonio Oliveira’s broken promises. The club supremo had declared over the weekend that everything would be settled by Wednesday, but the day passed without any sign of money.

As a result, the majority of the team went home in protest. Questions are being raised about whether this will affect the club’s trip to Guimaraes to close out the season, but it is believed strike action is not on the table.

Liga to take action

The boycott could not come at a worse time for the club, as Liga president, Herman Loureiro, had earlier this week explained how he was looking to stamp out the financial mismanagement crippling a lot of teams in Portugal.

The Liga boss has suggested implementing measures whereby clubs would be more responsible for their finances and would be punished by being docked points should they go astray and not follow certain approved standards and procedures.

The final proposal is currently being drafted by Loureiro and his staff before it goes to a vote of all professional clubs. The president would like a system of checks and balances in place where every club’s finances would have to meet regulations within given time periods.

Should any club not be in accordance with the approved minimum conditions, then it would be up to the Liga’s discretion on how to punish clubs for failure to comply.

Loureiro did not set a date as to when he would like this approved and implemented by, but he is trying to obtain agreement so that the new regulations can be implemented by the beginning of next season.